CDT cannot verify any information presented by Guo Wengui.
Guo Wengui has been hurling explosive allegations of corruption at top Party officials from his swanky penthouse in Manhattan for the past six months. All the while, he has promised to hold a “global news conference” at which he will unveil the cache of evidence he claims will back up his many so-far unsubstantiated assertions. In his September 10 “all’s well” YouTube video, Guo explained that he would hold the conference as top Party leaders are gathered in Beijing next month for the 19th Party Congress. Translated from the full transcript of the video (via CDT Chinese):
[…] This 19th Party Congress, I tell you, will be held very differently than the 19th Party Congress [as they planned to hold it]! This one will let them, the 19th Party Congress, forever understand: we now live in the age of science and technology! The information age! No longer are things only the way that you [CCP leaders] want them to be!
When you hold a press conference, you send out a manuscript! You arrange for desirable people to ask the questions you want them to ask and that’s it. [Not this time,] no way!
At this year’s 19th Party Congress the main stage will be overseas, and I’ll be on it! We will wait and see! On this overseas stage of the 19th Party Congress, Guo Wengui the main event. I believe that all of the 1.4 billion people in China who have a bit of brains, that they would rather watch the overseas event!
When you start your press conference I’ll start mine at the same time! As you are answering questions, I’ll simultaneously be speaking about this issue! When your host comes, that’s when I’ll talk about this person! As the members of the Standing Committee come out, I’ll be telling you whether that person is a good person or a corrupt official! Then I will show my evidence!
The simultaneous 19th Party Congress press conference! This conference will allow everyone to see: as long as China is a country without the rule of law, as long as China doesn’t settle its problem of using corruption to fight corruption, of using secrets to fight corruption, of using secrets to rule, and using police to rule, China’s 19th Party Congress must come to a halt! Because they will continue to inflict harm on the people! They will continue to allow countless more people to become Yang Gailan! Countless more Lei Yangs! Countless more Nie Shubins! Countless more Guo Wenguis! And they will continue to produce countless more Ma Yuns [Jack Ma]! Xu Jiayins! Countless more people like this! The country will not be a country! Everyone will be done! So I say that the 19th Party Congress must rule according to the rule of law, and according to Guo’s Seven Articles: We must dispose of the practices of using corruption to fight corruption, using police to fight corruption, and using secrets to fight corruption [the first three of Guo’s Seven Articles (郭七条)]! […] [Chinese]
The evidence Guo claims to possess include 91 folders and 18 video tapes from earlier secret internal investigations into a large number of high Chinese officials, conducted by the Ministry of State Security between 2004 and 2015. In his most recent interview with Mirror (Mingjing) News’ Chen Xiaoping, Guo describes the contents of the folders and tapes, and explains that he hasn’t yet released them because the revelations they contain will inevitably throw China into turmoil. He claims that the folders include documents implicating Xi’s right hand man Wang Qishan, who after rising to high power after the 18th Party Congress went after all of those who earlier investigated him. Also according to Guo, an investigation into Wang conducted before his promotion was effectively buried after its findings were “stupidly” delivered to domestic security chief Meng Jianzhu and his right hand man Sun Lijun, whom he claims were powerful secret allies of Wang. (CDT earlier translated an excerpt from Guo’s September 1 video, in which he described Meng Jianzhu and Sun Lijun as having far more control over the Chinese state and CCP than generally known.)
In Guo’s September 15 YouTube broadcast, he alluded to the importance of the folders and videos that he further describes in the following translation: “Mr. Meng Jianzhu, Mr. Sun Lijun, Mr. Fu Zhenghua, and Mr. Wang Qishan, do you all think that Guo Wengui doesn’t have the real material? I tell you, I also have 91 folders that I haven’t yet shown, 18 video tapes that I haven’t yet shown. After this Pandora’s Box is opened, first of all it will unleash great harm on the Party Central Committee. Even if Chairman Xi were to treat me with honor, to offer me a fleet of eight 787s to take me back to a post as vice-chairman or premier, I wouldn’t go back to China now. But, I certainly want to let Chairman Xi know the truth.”
From Guo’s September 19 interview with Mirror (Mingjing) News’ Chen Xiaoping, translated by CDT:
[…] Guo: To be honest, I didn’t expect that my relationship with secretary Meng Jianzhu and Sun Lijun would get this far. I say from the bottom of my heart that I didn’t.
Chen: Why?
Guo: It was them that misjudged me time and time again! They also look down on me! [They ] also want to eliminate me completely, they want deal with me the same way they did with Yuan Baojing and Lei Yang—by killing them to silence them! [Guo has made unsubstantiated claims that the death of environmental NGO worker Lei Yang after a police beating last year was in fact a political assassination] That’s the only way they can reach their goal! During my communication with Liu Yanping and our 7-8 months of contact, Sun Lijun came to America many times as a special representative of Xi Jinping to hold talks, the goal being to destroy me! Then [they] went to the Middle East to threaten me, in the name of national interests. Then they dealt a brutal strike on my family and employees, and now this is all happening over again. Yesterday they went to the police in Zhaojiagou, my birthplace, where they threatened my family and staff. They’ve pushed me against the wall.
I say truthfully, these 91 folders don’t contain anything on Meng Jianzhu and Sun Lijun. I’d like to put any one of these 91 out, you wait for me to do that then also you wait for me to put out my phone call with Sun Lijun and you’ll see. I told Sun Lijun that these 91 folders will definitely cause China a massive problem, and there’s no way that these won’t go out if you kill me, they will certainly go out.
Chen: These 91 folders, can you tell everyone what they’re about?
Guo: The 91 folders, I can simply say these two things. The first is that most of these, not all but the overwhelming majority of them, are related to several big cases like Zhou Yongkang, Ling Jihua, Song Lin. As soon as these cases and these folders go out, you’ll be speechless. Everything you have heard [about these cases] before is fake. The contents touch upon too many people! The second most important thing is information on past investigations into the current Standing Committee members and those about to join the committee, all the documents and attachments.
The next thing I’m about to say is new. I wasn’t going to speak of it, because it would harm others.
The investigation into the HNA case conducted by the Minister of State Security was originally concluded in 2011 and 2012. All of the conclusions of that investigation were stupidly delivered to Sun Lijun and Meng Jianzhu [see also CDT’s translation of Guo’s allegations about the true power of Sun and Meng]. But you see the results, from 2011 to 2012 to 2017, there was an increase of 20,000 fold [of HNA’s assets]. These things [from the investigation into Wang and HNA] were given to Wang Qishan, and Wang Qishan set out to catch all of these investigators!
I want to tell you that between 2004 and 2015, even 2017, all of the files from upright people in the State and Public Security system authority [a reference to Ma Jian’s security personnel], those investigations on sensitive people [important high officials], they’re all inside [of these 91 folders]. And [after you read these 91 folders] then you’ll look back and understand why some names were arrested [during the “anti-corruption campaign” under Xi and Wang]. And you’ll also understand why some others were promoted [under Xi and Wang’s terms during the past five years]. This includes people who are to be 19th Party Congress Politburo Standing Committee members! This is the core of the 91 folders!
Chen: So this is a map of Chinese politics in recent years?
Guo: Even more extreme than that! A map is flat, but this is like Google Earth! A three-dimensional map! Like a video map, not a story. Not just words.
Chen: And what about the 18 video tapes?
Guo: The 18 video tapes are all the investigations into Liu Zhihua [former Beijing vice-mayor who is serving a suspended death sentence for a 2008 Olympics-related corruption scandal], the time Wang Qishan was being investigated, former investigations into the situation of Wang Qishan’s family and assets in the U.S., including his messing around with women, and Gao Yanyan’s involvement with U.S. mutual funds, allowing China to invest, and how did they swindle that money? And up to Tian Suning and Tian Huiyu being Wang Qishan’s white gloves, at that time following Wu Guanzheng [Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and Politburo Standing Committee member under Hu Jintao], He Yong [Wu Guanzheng’s deputy], Ma Wen [another of Wu’s deputies and Minister of Supervision], Ma Jian [Vice Minister of State Security from 2006-2015, and Guo Wengui’s main security ally, currently detained for corruption charges], Meng Huiqing was just an earlier investigator [Meng is now serving a 12-year prison term for corruption], and Director Liu of No. 6 Bureau, director Liu something Sen, ah right director Liu Baosen, director Gao Hui was the specific person in charge. The result was that all these people involved in this investigation, all the documents [they possess or had access to from the investigation], were eliminated: some killed, some arrested, but none of them could continue. Ma Wen was nearly tormented to death! Wu Guanzheng was also nearly arrested! Mr. He Yong is basically under house arrest! So the 91 folders include all of this!
Chen: These are all things that you are reluctant to provide.
Guo: Not reluctant! I can provide! Right now I say from the bottom of my heart that I don’t want to leave China in disorder, because when I put this out China will most definitely be in a state of upheaval! No matter how cowardly Chinese people are, they won’t be able to stand it! Won’t be able to accept the fact that this happened! These million people [affected by the anti-corruption campaign over the past five years], the family of arrested Party members who are living in shame and with no purpose, they will all stand up! All of them will rise! I have no doubt about that! […] [Chinese]
